We’ve got just one more week left in the Section II football season and with ten teams left all heading to their respective Super Bowls things are about as exciting as they can possibly be.

So, with semi-final weekend in our metaphorical rearview mirror, what did we learn from the latest batch of games on the gridiron? Let’s review.

Defensive helps you get to a championship

Everyone knows the old cliché that defense wins championships. After all, it’s awfully tough for another team to beat you if they can’t put points on the board. But for the Shaker and Hoosick Falls football teams, this past weekend, defense helped get them back to a championship. Both squads staged shutout victories, outscoring their opponents by a combined score of 51-0. As reigning Section II champions, both the Panthers and the Bison have spent this past season using their dominant defenses to their advantage and that got them right back into the Super Bowl.

Running over opponents, any way he can

CBA senior running back Elliot Croskey has quietly and efficiently put together one of the best most productive seasons in all of Section II and if we weren’t collectively aware of it before, he proved it again on Friday night. Croskey rushed for 141 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries to lead CBA to a 28-7 victory over Guilerland and a ticket to the Class AA Super Bowl next Friday.

First chance at victory

After Saturday afternoon’s 41-32 victory, Broadalbin-Perth is heading to just its second-ever Section II championship game. The Patriots’ only loss this season came at the hands of top-seeded Schalmont so, of course, that’s who they’ll face off against next Saturday. While it may be a challenge, Broadalbin’s strong showing in the semi-final is a major confidence boost heading into the Super Bowl as the squad looks to grab the first championship in program history.

Getting a second crack at it

When the Chatham football team huddled up after Saturday night’s 54-6 victory over Corinth, coaches told players that it was exactly one year ago that they had stood in the same spot, dealing with the end of their 2012 season after a loss to Hoosick Falls in the Class C Super Bowl. Now, the Panthers are heading back to their second straight championship game against, guess who, Hoosick Falls. After a a dominant showing in the semi-final, this is a very talented Chatham squad with a handful of seniors who are determined to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself; again.

Spartans vs. Spartans take two

When Queensbury and Burnt Hills met in week four, the two Spartans squads staged one of the best games this season, ending with a Queensbury 28-27 victory after a missed Burnt Hills extra point that would have sent the game into overtime. Since then, both Spartan teams have racked up five straight victories and are all set up for their second meeting this season; in the Class A Super Bowl next Saturday. Burnt Hills is looking for its sixth straight Section II title while Queensbury is to take its third overall championship in the Spartans first final appearance since 2004. This is going to be a good one.